Instrument stand



March 13, 1962 J. L. SANSTEAD INSTRUMENT STAND Filed Oct. 21, 1958 Ewan-far John L. Sansvead 3,024,690 INSTRUMENT STAND John Le Sanstead, 615 W. 2nd St., Hastings, Minn. Filed Oct. 21, 1958, Ser. No. 768,604 8 Claims. (tll. 84-687) This invention relates generally to instrument stands, and more specifically to an improved lightweight stand which is particularly well adapted to supporting a sousaphone.

Although the principles of the present invention may be included in stands for various instruments, a particularly useful application is made in a stand for supporting the heavier musical instruments which are normally held by the player, such as bell front tubas, known as sousaphones. It is well known that this instrument is quite heavy and is usually supported on the left shoulder of the musician, whether he be seated, standing, or marchmg.

Stands have been suggested for this type of instrument wherein the instrument is supported adjacent to the musician. A disadvantage of this type of stand is that in the instance of the sousaphone, the instrument does not surround the player in a normal position, thereby compelling the player or musician to use the instrument in a comparatively awkward or unnatural position. A further disadvantage of this type of stand is that it is not readily adaptable to being used while the musician is on the march. Further, prior stands have been of such weight that it has been considered impractical to burden a musician who is already burdened with a substantial amount of weight with additional weight.

The present invention contemplates the utilization of a leg having an adjustable length, the lower end of which leg is adapted to be supported in a number of selected positions, and the upper end of which is adapted to be secured to the instrument to be supported in instrumentsupporting relationship. The leg portion of this stand being adjustable, is readily adaptable to different sizes of instruments, as well as different sizes of musician. In that it is also preferably pivotab'ly secured to the instrument, the leg portion of the stand may readily be swung to various positions for use or storage as may be desired, and as is explained more fully herein.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a stand for a musical instrument which is characterized by being unusually simple and light in weight.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an instrument stand which may be utilized under one or more of various conditions, such as marching, standing, and sitting.

Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a supporting stand for a sousaphone.

A still further object of the present invention is to provide an instrument stand which is so small in size that it may be left attached to the musical instrument when the instrument is stored in its case.

Yet another object is to provide a stand for musical instruments which stand may be employed on bleachers.

A still further object of the instant invention is to provide a sousaphone stand which permits the instrument to remain in natural playing position.

Yet another object is to provide a stand for a sousaphone wherein the weight of the instrument may be distributed evenly to both shoulders of the musician, and wherein the entire weight of the instrument may be shifted from shoulder to shoulder by simply raising one shoulder and dropping the other.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a novel telescopic joint clamp.

tates Patent 3,924,590 Patented Mar. 13, 1962 Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a universally adjustable stand retaining clip.

Many other advantages, features and additional objects of the present invention will become manifest to those versed in the art upon making reference to the detailed description and the accompanying sheet of drawings in which a preferred structural embodiment incorporating the principles of the present invention is shown by way of illustrative example.

On the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an instrument stand provided in accordance with the principles of the present invention, and shown supporting a sousaphone on a player, the sousaphone and the players hand being partly broken away;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary view, partly broken away and partly in cross-section, of the stand shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 illustrates how the stand may support an instrument when the player is seated on a bench, chair, or bleachers; and

FIG. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary perspective view illustrating how the stand may be selectively pivoted and retained in a storage or non-use position.

As shown on the drawings:

The principles of the invention are particularly useful when embodied in a musical instrument stand such as illustrated in PEG. 1, generally indicated by the numeral 10. The stand includes a leg 11 which has two sections 12 and 13 secured together by an adjustable clamp 14. The stand also preferably includes a clip assembly 15 and a shoulder sling or marching strap 16.

I e leg 11 preferably comprises lightweight tubular material, such as aluminum or magnesium, suitably treated to prevent oxidation or to provide a pleasing appearance. The leg section 12 has an upper tubular end 17 and a lower end 18. The leg section or member 13 has an upper end 1? and a lower end 20.

The leg 11 of the stand 10 is provided with means at its upper end for pivotally securing the leg 11 to a musical instrument, here illustrated as a sousaphone 211. In this embodiment, there is provided a pair of members 22, 23 which are shaped to define upwardly directed shoulders having a crotch, crutch-like, or nest-like structure. The members 22, 23 are received in and secured as by nut and bolt sets 24 to the upper or tubular end 17 of the leg section 12, the end 17 in this embodiment being flattened for this purpose. Each of the members 22, 23 is provided with a resilient cover 25, such as of rubber, to extend over at least the upper surface of each of the members 22, 23. A strap 25 is also secured to the tubular end 17 together with the shoulder-defining structure and is disposed within the nest or crotch defined thereby. It can be seen that the strap 26 may be secured to a ring portion of the instrument 21 at a point in front of the left shoulder of the musician, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 3. It is also apparent that while the strap is securely buckled to the instrument in this manner, there is thereby provided a pivotal connection between the leg 11 and the instrument 21, whereby the leg 11 may be selectively pivoted with respect to the instrument. In this aspect, the instant invention includes thus an upper end structure by which the leg may be rotatably secured to the instrument in instrument-supporting relationship.

Where the leg 11 comprises two or more sections or members, there is preferably included a joint between such members, here illustrated as including telescopically adjustable engagement between the lower end 18 of the member 12, and the upper end 19 of the member 13. Accordingly, one of the members is received within the other, and that other member is therefore necessarily tubular. In this embodiment, that other member is the 03 Q3 upper end 19 of the section 13. As best seen in FIG- URE 2, there may be provided at least one pair of spaced axially extending slots 3%, 31 which jointly define axially extending edges of an axially extending finger portion 32 in the upper end structure 19 of the section 13. The term axially thus refers to a direction parallel to the axis. In order to illustrate the structural details of the axially extending finger portion 32., there is shown an additional such finger portion in cross-section at 32'. The finger portion 352 likewise has spaced edges defined by a pair of slots, and the distal end of each of the finger portions 32 and 32' is bent over to define a generally U- shaped radial section having elements 33 and 34 joined together at the upper illustrated end thereof.

The adjustable clamp 14 includes a band which may be tightened by a thumb screw 35 and which clamp band extends between the elements 33 and 34 of the finger portion 32. In this embodiment, the element 33 has been slightly radially outwardly offset so that the element 34 lies substantially in the same plane as the wall of the member 13. When the element 34 is disposed inwardly as shown of the element 33, the band of the clamp 14 may extend through the slots which define the portion 32. It is apparent that each of the portions 32 and 32' coacts with the clamp 14 to hold the clamp 14 on the leg section 13. This particular form of attachment is advantageous since no machining, welding, bolting, or the like is necessary to hold the band in place when it is loose. Other slots such as 30 and 31 which are surrounded by the clamp 14 permit a slight collapse or contraction of the upper end of the leg section 13 whereby the two leg sections are securely clamped together to preclude relative axial displacement between each other. It will thus be noted that the clamp 14 is disposed remotely from the upper end of the section 12 and also remotely from the lower end of the leg section 13.

The lower end 20 of the section 13 is provided with a rubber or plastic tip 36 which both prevents scratching and affords an increase in friction between the leg 11 and whatever it engages.

The shoulder sling 16 is preferably adjustable in length as shown, and may comprise any suitable flexible material. The sling 16 is provided with a socket portion 40 having a closed lower end with which the lower end 20 of the leg 11 mates and is thereby received and supported.

The clip assembly preferably includes a retaining spring clip 41, a strap or support means 42, and a pivotal connection joining the clip and strap together. The pivotal connection may comprise a rivet, a cotter pin, or the like, the detailed structure of the pivotal connection being well known and therefore not shown. The strap or support 42 is secured to a portion of the instrument 21 at a point remote from the strap 26', and like the strap 26 forms a rotatable or pivotal connection with the instrument 21 so that the clip 41 may be disposed in a desired direction. It is to be understood that the pivotal connection between the strap 42 and the clip 41 is desirable, but not essential to the practice of the broadest concepts of the instant invention.

FIG. 1 illustrates how the disclosed embodiment of this invention may be employed to advantage with a sousaphone, the musician being in a standing or marching position. The upper end of the stand 10 being secured to the instrument in an instrument-supporting fashion, the lower end is swung so that the crotch or nest portion of the upper end is upwardly directed for actual support of the instrument. This figure shows how the lower end 26 of the leg 11 may be swung to a more or less vertical position whereby it is supported by the shoulder sling 16. Preferably, the length of the sling 16 and the length of the leg 11 are each so adjusted that the weight of the instrument is distributed to both shoulders of the musician. By so distributing the weight, the musician is not nearly as subject to fatigue as he is when my invention is not employed. It can be seen that if the player lowers only his left shoulder, he thereby transfers all of the weight of the instrument to the right shoulder, while if he lowers his right shoulder, he transfers all of the weight of the instrument to his left shoulder, there then being no support by the stand 16'. By transferring the weight from shoulder to shoulder, the proper length of the sling and leg may be experimentally obtained without removing the instrument from the player. Further, such weight shifting, if desired by the musician, will effect temporary weight or load distribution changes so as to further relieve the musician from fatigue during use of the instrument.

When a band musician is called upon to be seated on a bench, chair, or bleacher seat, the leg 11 can be removed from the socket 40, and rotated as desired to a point alongside the musician, as shown in FIG. 3. If needed, the length of the leg can of course be easily readjusted. In this drawing, the length has been shown to be so set that no weight of the instrument is carried by either shoulder of the player, who nevertheless maintains his usual attitude or relationship with respect to the instrument, which is not laterally ofiset from his body, as is frequently the practice with other stands. It may also be noted that the stand 10 for this type of usage does not materially interfere with other musicians who may be seated adjacently.

If the shoulder sling 16 is not utilized, the leg 11 may be pivoted or rocked so that the leg 11 is received in and retained by the clip 41, as best seen in FIG. 4. The stand may be disposed selectively in this position for marching, if desired, but more importantly is provided with this feature for holding the leg 11 when the instrument 21 is packed away in its carrying case or bag. Thus, it will be noted that the stand 10 may be left attached to the instrument when the instrument is to be put away. The embodiment of the stand shown in FIG. 4 has a typical weight on the order of ten ounces. It can therefore be seen that this provides no material increase in weight when the instrument is to be transported from place to place in its case. Thus, once the instrument has been transported, such as by a student musician to his home, the stand is always available for immediate and ready use.

It is thus apparent that the lower end of the stand Ed is adapted to be selectively supported by any one of the sling 16, the clip assembly 15, or by any horizontal supporting surface such as found on a chair, bench, bleacher seat, and the like.

It is also seen that the effective size of the stand is readily adjustable for any size of instrument, musician, for any desired weight distribution, for storage, or for use with any of a variety of auxiliary horizontal supporting surfaces.

Accordingly, it can be seen that the objects of this invention have been met by a very simple and yet novel device.

Although various minor modifications might be suggested by those versed in the art, it should be understood that I wish to embody within the scope of the patent warranted hereon all such embodiments as reasonably and properly come within the scope of my contribution to the art.

I claim as my invention:

1. In combination with a musical instrument of the sousaphone type, a longitudinally adjustable crutch-like member, one end of said member having an instrument engaging portion, having thereon means for securing said portion to said instrument, and the opposite end of said support having thereon a means adapted to be received in a body-supported holder, whereby a portion at least of the weight of said instrument may be borne through said crutch-like member.

2. In combination with a musical instrument of the sousaphone type, a longitudinally adjustable crutch-type member, one end of said member having an instrument engaging portion, having thereon means for securing said portion to said instrument, and the opposite end of said support having thereon a means adapted to be received in a body-supported holder, whereby a portion at least of the weight of said instrument may be borne through said crutch-like member, said crutch-like member comprising telescoping sections, the outer of which has an axially extending finger portion integral with an end thereof and of U-shaped radial section disposed entirely at one lateral side of said member, and an adjustable clamp encircling the inner of said sections and extending through said U-shaped finger portion for locking said sections together.

3. In combination with a musical instrument of the sousaphone type, a longitudinally adjustable crutch-like member, one end of said member having an instrument engaging portion, having thereon means for securing said portion to said instrument, and the opposite end of said support having thereon a means adapted to be received in a body-supported holder, whereby a portion at least of the weight of said instrument may be borne through said crutch-like member, said crutch-like mem ber comprising telescoping sections, the outer of which is the more remote from said securing means and having an axially extending finger portion integral with one end thereof and of inverted U-shaped radial section disposed entirely at one lateral side of said member, and an adjustable clamp encircling the inner of said sections and extending through said U-shaped finger portion for locking said sections together.

4. In combination with a musical instrument of the sousaphone type, a longitudinally adjustable crutch-like member, one end of said member having an instrument engaging portion, having thereon means for securing said portion to said instrument, and the opposite end of said support having thereon a means adapted to be received in a body-supported holder, whereby a portion at least of the Weight of said instrument may be borne through said crutch-like member, said crutch-like member comprising telescoping sections, the outer of which has an axially extending finger portion integral with an end thereof and of U-shaped radial section disposed entirely at one lateral side of said member, said finger portion being defined by slots in said outer of said sections, and an adjustable clamp encircling the inner of said sections and extending through said U-shaped finger portion and said slots for locking said sections together.

5. In combination with a musical instrument of the sousaphone type, a longitudinally adjustable crutch-like member, one end of said member having an instrument engaging portion, having thereon means for securing said portion to said instrument, and the opposite end of said support having thereon a means adapted to be received in a body-supported holder, whereby a portion at least of the Weight of said instrument may be borne through said crutch-like member, said crutch-like member comprising telescoping sections, the outer of which is the more remote from said securing means and having an axially extending finger portion of inverted U-shaped radial section disposed entirely at one lateral side of said member, one leg of the U-shaped finger portion being integral with one end of said outer section, and the other leg of the U-shaped finger portion being in substantially flatwise engagement with the inner of said sections, and an adjustable clamp encircling the inner of said sections and extending through said U-shaped finger portion for looking said sections together.

6. In combination with a musical instrument of the sousaphone type, a longitudinally adjustable crutch-type member, one end of said member having an instrument engaging portion, having thereon means for securing said portion to said instrument, and the opposite end of said support having thereon a means adapted to be received in a body-supported holder, whereby a portion at least of the Weight of said instrument may be borne through said crutch-like member, said securing means comprising a strap for extending about a portion of the instrument.

7. In combination with a musical instrument of the sousaphone type, a longitudinally adjustable crutch-like member, one end of said member having an instrument engaging portion, having thereon means for securing said portion to said instrument, and the opposite end of said support having thereon a means adapted to be received in a body-supported holder, whereby a portion at least of the weight of said instrument may be borne through said crutch-like member, said securing means comprising a flexible strap of soft non-metallic material for extending about a portion of the instrument and being the sole means on said crutch-like member engaging the instrument.

8. In combination with a musical instrument of the sousaphone type, a longitudinally adjustable crutch-like member, one end of said member having an instrument engaging portion, having thereon means for securing said portion to said instrument, and the opposite end of said support having thereon a means adapted to be received in a body-supported holder, whereby a portion at least of the Weight of said instrument may be home through said crutch-like member, said crutch-like member comprising a flattened upper tubular end and including support means secured to said upper end and defining a support surface directed toward the instrument, said securing means comprising a flexible strap of soft non-metallic material for extending about a portion of the instrument, said strap also being fixedly secured within said flattened upper tubular end, and being supported by said support surface.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 879,052 Jeranek Feb. 11, 1908 1,570,168 Mortensen Jan. 19, 1926 1,774,775 Weitz Sept. 2, 1930 1,846,345 McCarten Feb. 23, 1932 2,327,990 Benson Aug. 31, 1943 FOREIGN PATENTS 15,996 Great Britain July 6, 1897 

